


The Found Hero

by Dragon_Gnostic



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Camp Jupiter, Gen, Headcanon, Other, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-05-30 04:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6408814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_Gnostic/pseuds/Dragon_Gnostic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one really knows what happened to Jason Grace after he was dropped off at the Wolf House when he was just a child. This story imagines what it might have been like to grow up in New Rome with no family to speak of and how he was raised among teenaged demigods.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Marcus Greybill - Preator, Son of Vulcan.  
> Victoria Vaughnet - Praetor, Daughter of Mars.  
> Marie Delacroix - Senior Centurion of the second Cohort. Daughter of Feronia, the goddess of bountiful harvest.  
> Augustine - Legacy of Apollo, member of the First Cohort, Augur. Older cousin to Octavian (hence no surname)  
> Victor Colin - member of the second Cohort. Son of Janus  
> Lucas Harbourn - Member of the second Cohort, Son of Ceres  
> Sajah Kamala - Member of the second Cohort, Daughter Mercury.

It was a lovely day at camp Jupiter. July first, 1998. Cicadas chirped in the Buckeye and Eucalyptus trees. The Berkeley hills rolled with a cool summer breeze from the bay. The smell of freshly mown grass and sweet sweat settled on the Fields of Mars. Everything was calm. Well, as calm as it could be in a camp for Roman Demigods after the Summer Solstice and Feast of Fortuna. Members of the 2nd and 4th cohort scrimmaged in the sun. Sound of the principia echoed off stone parapets and the sound of life is all around. Outside the Valley, two Roman Statios stood guard, as they always did. The younger one, a boy about 17 years old with a mop of golden brown curls and hazel eyes so kind his watchful stare could have been mistaken for a loving gaze. His name was Lucas Harbourn. The other Statio was a young lady, 19 years old, with coffee brown skin and long, black hair that ran down her back in a tight braid. Her name was Sajah Kamala. She stood a little taller than her partner. She held her Pilum up straight, her Scutum close to her chest, while Lucas leaned against his Pilum, his Scutum was long forgotten on the floor, leaning against the wall of the tunnel.

The California sun beat down on their gold galeas. Sweat trickled down their backs, staining their shirts and slicking their armor, their conversation as uninspired as Lucas’s posture.

“Is it… ancient?” Sajah asked.

“Yes, 16,” Lucas replied.

“It is an instrument of war?”

“Yes, 15.”

“Katroptris.”

“…Damn. How’d you know?” Lucas asked, sliding down his Pilum, squatting with his back against the wall behind them.

“You’re obsessed with the Trojan War – ”

“I am not!”

“And you don’t actually care about weaponry so it had to be Katroptirs.”

Lucas pouted for a minute and Saja cracked a slight smile.

“Okay. Your turn.” Lucas sighed.

“Fine… okay. I got one.” Sajah shook her head, jostling her braid off her back.

“Is it… a man?”

At that moment, Sajah gasped louder than Lucas had ever heard her gasp on Guard duty.  
“What?” he asked, “What is it?” He followed her gaze across the highway to where he saw what she was looking at.

A small boy, couldn’t have been more than five years old, with a shock of wheat blonde hair, was playing by the roadside with an abnormally large white wolf. The wolf wasn’t the shock. Lucas recognized her almost immediately as one of Lupa’s pups. But what she was doing with a child that young was beyond him.  
Without thinking, Lucas dropped his Pilum and ran across the road, stopping cars that honked, loudly, at him. Sajah shouted after him but he was already half way across the street, and by the time he reached the boy, the wolf was gone. The boy looked up, innocently at Lucas. He didn’t look like most five-year-olds Lucas has seen. His sky blue eyes were wide, but not with innocence. He was calm and silent. Lucas panted as he stared down at the boy. He felt as though the child were looking straight through him.  
Lucas could still hear Sajah yelling at him from across the highway but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t look away from this boy.

“Hi,” he said at last, crouching down to meet the boy’s eyes. “I’m Lucas. What’s your name?”  
The boy looked down for a moment, as if trying to remember.

“Jason,” the boy answered after a moment of silence.

Lucas exhaled and felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his chest, he hadn’t realized, but he had been holding his breath. “Hi Jason,” he replied. “Are you okay?” he asked. Jason nodded, simply.

Lucas quickly looked over the small boy, making sure he wasn’t injured. He was wearing a grimy old sweatshirt that looked a size too small, and his shorts that had once probably been a shade of yellow were stained and caked with mud. He had a scraped knee, but other than that, he looked all right.

“I’m gonna take you somewhere safe, okay? Is that okay? Do you wanna come with me?” Lucas could feel his pulse quickening, only he wasn’t sure why.

“Okay,” Jason said. It sounded more like a promise of cooperation than anything else. “But are the chickens coming too?”

“Chickens?” Lucas asked. What was this kid talking about?

“Yeah the chickens!” Jason turned and looked up the hill into the forested area behind them, “they’ve been following me and Titus for a couple days now and Titus wouldn’t let me play with them…”

As the boy spoke, Luca saw them. Piercing yellow eyes, staring through the branches of the trees.

In a flash, three harpies swooped out of the trees and ascended on Lucas and Jason. Lucas already had Jason in his arms and was running back towards the entrance of Camp Jupiter.

“HARPIES! SAJAH! QUICK! HARPIES!” he yelled, his shouts half drown out by the honking of more car horns but Sajah saw them. She readied her spear and as Lucas ran past her and into the tunnel that lead to camp, she shot, hitting two of the Harpies out of the sky at once. But as the two fell, three more appeared out of the trees. She grabbed Lucas’s discarded Pilum and prepared for another attack.

By then, Lucas was already to the entrance of camp. He splashed into the little Tiber and waded through the rushing water with Jason still clutched tightly in his arms.

He dashed through the principia screaming, “We’re under Attack! Harpies! Attack!” all around, romans readied their weapon and stood at attention. Echoes of the harpies screams rung across the Berkeley Valley. Lucas skidded to a stop in front of his Praetors, Marcus Graybill, son of Vulcan and Victoria Vaughnet, daughter of Mars.

“Please, praetors, Camp Jupiter is under attack.” Lucas panted.  
Marcus looked down to the child Lucas still had clutched in his arms as Victoria called to her troops, “Legion! To the river!”

Dozens of Demigods rushed the river to their fellow’s aid.

“You go on ahead, Victoria. I’d like to know exactly what happened.”

Victoria nodded and glanced Lucas up and down before heading off to lead their troops.

“And who, exactly, is this?” Marcus asked. Jason had his arms wrapped around Lucas’s neck, and he looked up at him with those startlingly still eyes. The boy seemed un-phased by the forgoing events and looked as though he were patiently waiting to be properly introduced to their Praetor.

“This is Jason.” Lucas recounted the events of the morning. The wolf pup, the harpies, and as he concluded the sounds of victory horns were heard in the distance. The short-lived battle against the harpies was won.

“I see,” Marcus said after a silent moment of consideration. “It’s clear that this boy is a demigod but we’ve never had one come to us this young.”

Lucas waited, looking down at Jason, whose attention was now over Lucas’s shoulder to the groups of soldiers returning to the principia.

Victoria rejoined them in the streets of the principia along with Marie Delacroix, a daughter of Feronia, and Lucas’s Senior Centurion.

“Victoria, Marie, meet Jason. A young demigod Lucas found outside the camp.” Marcus nodded to the boy in Lucas’s arms.

“Is this the cause for the harpies?” Victoria asked, sneering down at the child.

“He was all alone? No parent or guardian?” Marie asked, taking a concerned step towards the boy.

Lucas nodded and Victoria cleared her throat. Marie took a step back and squared her shoulders, remembering her place.

“What are we going to do with him?” Marie asked.

“We’ll ask around, see if anyone in New Rome recognizes him. If not, we’ll have to consult the Auguries.” Victoria said. She nodded to Lucas who understood, and set Jason down. He took the boy’s hand and headed off into the direction of New Rome.

“This morning has been a rather inconvenient turn of events,” Victoria tousled her mane of auburn curls and looked to her fellow Praetor.

Marie scoffed, “Lucas finds an abandon demigod child, Sajah is attacked by harpie ladies, and you think your morning is unfortunate?”

“Watch your tone, centurion.” Victoria snapped.

“The harpies attacked the camp, it was a bit of a upstart.” Marcus agreed.

“They were defeated easily. Or do you have no faith in you legion?” Marie asked. Marcus shot her a warning glance and she bowed her head. “I apologize, Praetors, I meant no disrespect.”

“Centurion, perhaps you should go see to the rest of your cohort. It’s been an exciting day. And two of your legionars were at the center of it.” Victoria’s chestnut eyes glanced over to where the second cohort stood around Sajah who was nursing a nasty looking cut on her forehead.

“Thank you, Praetor, I think I will.” Marie bowed her head and headed over to her cohort, her jaw clenched. 


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was now high over the principia and Lucas held the boy’s hand tighter than he probably should have, but Jason didn’t seem to mind. He just kept holding on. Jason bounced along happily, taking in New Rome excitedly. Pointing to buildings and people rambling about all sorts of things.

“Does anything look familiar?” Lucas asked. 

Jason shook his head. “No.” He continued to talk. Most of it was nonsense but Lucas heard him say “Sissy” and he stopped.

“Sissy? You’re Sissy? Do you have a sister?” Lucas asked, looking down at the boy.

“Yeah! Her name is Th—Ta… Tali. She’s my big Sissy... I miss her.” Jason suddenly looked very sad, sadder than any five year old should in Lucas’s opinion. 

Lucas decided to change the topic. “Uh… hey Jason… Why don’t we… play a game?” Lucas asked and Jason’s face got a little brighter.

“Okay,” the boy replied and he skipped ahead a bit.

“Okay, its gonna be kinda like 20 questions, do you like 20 questions?” Lucas asked.

“Yes!” Jason giggled. 

“Okay.” Lucas took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to ask you some questions, and you can answer with “yes” “no” or “I don’t know” okay?”

“Okay,” Jason said, but his attention was elsewhere. He looked longingly at one of New Rome’s bakeries. The poor kid must be starving. Who knows when he last ate.

“First question,” Lucas began, “Do you like hot chocolate?”

 

Lucas and Jason sat in the café. Jason munched on a cinnamon roll happily with a half drunk cup of hot chocolate on the table in front of him. Maybe not the best choice for his first real meal in who knows how long, but his eyes had practically popped out of his skull when he saw the giant cinnamon roll in the bakery case and Luca didn’t have the heart to deny him the sweet dessert. 

“Do you live in a big house?” Lucas asked, sipping his hot chocolate. Jason nodded, paused for a moment and chewed, then shook his head. “Well, which is it buddy, yes or no?”

Jason swallowed his bite of cinnamon roll and shook his wheat blonde hair out of his eyes. “Well the building was really big but our house was only on the top of it. I guess it was kinda big too but not really if you looked at the whole thing it was only pretty small.” Jason said before reaching for his cup of hot chocolate to wash down his cinnamon roll.

Big building. Top floor. Apartment? Lucas thought, maybe a hotel? Top floor. Maybe it was a penthouse?

“Did your mom call your house by a funny name?” Lucas asked. Maybe he would remember if his mother, who Lucas had gathered was a single mom, living somewhere in California with his older sister who he called “Tali”, had ever told him the name of the hotel or building they were staying.

Jason nodded, taking another big gulp of hot chocolate.

“Did she call it a penthouse?” Lucas asked and Jason piped up.

“Yeah! Yeah that’s my house!” Jason smiled.

“Did the penthouse have another name? Like Hilton? Or Pasadena?” Lucas ventured, spitting out the first names that came to mind.

Jason puzzled to himself for a moment and shook his head, “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I can’t remember.”

“That’s okay. It’s okay buddy.”

Lucas sighed. He checked his watch. It had been a few hours of questions like this and Lucas didn’t have much to show for it. Jason seemed to be enjoying their little game for the most part which Lucas was glad about, but all of the information he got out of Jason was too vague to help.

“Lucas?” 

Lucas looked up from the table to behind him, where the voice had called. Behind him, Marie Delacroix, his senior Centurion, was standing outside the patio where they were seated; her posture and demeanor were prim but commanding. Lucas stood up immediately, and faced her, bowing his head. 

“Centurion,” he said with rigid formality. Marie nodded to him, her features softening to the sweeter expression she wore in private, and he stood at ease. 

“How’s our young friend?” Marie asked, looking to Jason who was too wrapped up in finishing off his cinnamon roll. 

“I’m not really sure,” Lucas admitted. “He doesn’t seem hurt or at all bothered by the events of this morning.”

“Has anyone recognized him?” She asked, concern in her topaz eyes.

Lucas shook his head, “And he doesn’t seem to recognize anyone either. I’ve walked him all over New Rome. I really think he was just abandoned out there.”

“So you’ve done nothing but feed him sweets all afternoon?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

Lucas stuttered. “N-no, Centurion,” he said with a little bow, “I, well, I’ve been asking him some questions. I know he has an older sister and a mother. He lives in California, in a penthouse. He’s four and half years old. Uh…” Lucas trailed off.

Marie looked hopelessly at the boy. So they really didn’t know anything about him. She sighed and looked to the sun disappearing behind the Berkeley hills. If they couldn’t find his family they would have to take him to the Augur. Marie rolled her eyes at the thought of Augustine deciding this poor boys fate. She was crueler than any Roman should be, in Marie’s opinion, but the Praetors favored her. That much was certain. Well, one of them, at any rate. 

“Come on, it’s getting late,” Marie said, putting the thought aside. 

“What’s gonna happen to Jason?” Lucas asked. He had grown attached to the boy and felt somewhat responsible for him. He looked at him, sitting patiently, swinging his feet while he and his Centurion were discussing his fate. 

“Nothing, if I can help it,” Marie said. They might be able to avoid the Augur for tonight, at least. She would like to see the boy safe and sound in the 2nd cohorts barracks, if only for the night.

Lucas smiled. Marie could be scary sometimes, demanding, strict, but never cruel and her intensions were good. She was a formidable foe, but an honorable ally. 

Lucas picked Jason up out of his chair and followed Marie out of the café and back towards the Barracks. 

 

On the way back, Marcus Greybill caught sight of the three. He beckoned them over before dismissing a Lares that he had been speaking with. Apparently, Marie wouldn’t be so lucky as to avoid a run in with her Praetor.

“Any luck?” he asked, looking to Jason who was beginning to nod off in Lucas’s arms. “Did you find his family?”

“No such luck,” Marie responded. She looked around for Victoria, but she was nowhere in sight. 

Marcus shook his head. “This is… quite a predicament.”

“I agree, Praetor,” Marie sighed, she looked back too Lucas and Jason. “What do you think should be done?” Marcus was much more reasonable than his fellow Praetor. If it was just Marcus, Marie might be able to convince him to drop the matter quickly.

“We will have to consult with the Augur,” Marcus said, wrinkling his nose, as though the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. Marie stifled a laugh. She sympathized with that reaction.

“Very well, Praetor.” Marie nodded. “But, Marcus,” she continued in a sweeter voice, “isn’t it a little late for auguries tonight? Should we not wait for tomorrow when Augustine’s mind is clearer?”

Marcus cocked an eyebrow at Marie’s sly smile and huffed. “I suppose that makes sense. But I should consult Victoria…”

“Don’t bother her with this. It’s a trivial matter of night and day. We’ll all just convene tomorrow,” Marie suggested.

“Oh? And what will become of the child tonight?” Marcus asked, looking between Marie and her legionnaire who was looking more and more uncomfortable.

“The 2nd cohort will take him,” Marie replied, simply. “He is ultimately Lucas’s responsibility, seeing as he was the one who claimed him from the wolves. Is that not the simplest solution?” Lucas was practically sweating bullets now.

“You seem to be assuming my agreement, Centurion,” Marcus chuckled. “The ultimate decisions should be left up to your Praetors, should they not?” 

“Of course, Praetor,” Marie digressed, bowing her head to her leader.

Marcus sighed and considered the boy in Lucas’s arms. He looked peaceful there and Lucas looked reluctant to part with him. Marcus felt for the boy, alone in the world so young. He knew his fellow Praetor and Augur would not be so sympathetic. 

The Roman way was in strength not sympathy. Remus and Romulus had been abandoned by the Tiber to die, not unlike this boy, and they had gone on to found the great city of Rome. It was with that scale Victoria and Augustine would weigh the boy’s life. He figured there would be little harm in allowing the boy one night of rest before he was thrown to the wolves, again.

“The 2nd cohort will take the boy for the night. We will convene tomorrow at sunrise to consult the auguries, and final decisions will be made from there,” Marcus said, in a very matter of fact tone, before shaking his head, and adding under his breath, “and may Mars protect me from his daughter’s rage when I tell her of my decision.”

Marie exhaled with relief. “Thank you, praetor, and may Fortuna smile on you.”

Marcus waved his dismissal and Marie smiled at her subordinate before she and Lucas continued on to their Barracks with Jason.


End file.
